Wettability and interfacial reactions of a low Hf-containing nickel-based superalloy on Al2O3-based,SiO2-based,ZrSiO4, and CoAl2O4 substrates

To understand the wetting behavior and interfacial phenomena between molten superalloys and ceramic materials, the wettability and interfacial reactions of a low Hf-containing Nickel-based superalloy on the Al₂O₃-based, SiO₂-based, ZrSiO₄, and CoAl₂O₄ substrates were studied using the sessile drop method at 1773 K. The wetting angles of the alloy on the Al₂O₃-based, SiO₂-based, ZrSiO₄, and CoAl₂O₄ substrates were 141.4°, 143.5°, 135.7°, and 128.4°, respectively. This indicated that the wettability of the alloy on the Al₂O₃-based substrate was comparable to that on the SiO₂-based substrate, and the wettability of the CoAl₂O₄ system was the best among the four systems. The microstructure characteristics of the interface implied that Hf has a strong tendency to react with ceramic substrates, even at low contents. Additionally, the interfacial reactions transformed the Al₂O₃-based, SiO₂-based, ZrSiO₄, and CoAl₂O₄ ceramic substrates into (Al₂O₃ + HfO₂), (Al₂O₃ + HfO₂), (Al₂O₃ + HfO₂ + ZrO₂), and (Al₂O₃ + HfO₂ + Co), respectively, which were in contact with the alloys. The experimental results demonstrated that the wettability of the system was governed by the properties of the reaction products.     

The effect of Al content on the wettability between liquid iron and MgOAl2O3 binary substrate

In the present study, the wettability between liquid iron with two different Al contents and MgOAl₂O₃ binary substrates was studied in reducing atmosphere. The contact angles between liquid iron with 18?ppm Al and MgO, MgO·Al₂O₃, Al₂O₃ were 133.5°, 113.7°, 126.9° respectively. With the variation of the substrate composition, the contact angles for the intermediate binary phases of the three components (MgO, MgO·Al₂O₃, Al₂O₃) obeyed the Cassie theory. In the experiment using iron with 370?ppm Al, all the contact angles were higher than that using low Al-containing iron. The surface of the iron drop was covered with an oxide layer, which mainly consisted of many small particles. With the variation of the substrate gradually from MgO to Al₂O₃, the composition of the oxide layer changed from MgO·Al₂O₃ to CaOAl₂O₃. The formation of the oxide layer prevented the spreading of liquid iron, leading to the increase of the contact angle.     

Phase evolution mechanism of non‐oxide bonded Al–Al2O3–MgO–ZrO2 composites at 1873 K in flowing nitrogen

In flowing nitrogen, non‐oxides such as Al₄O₄C, Al₂OC, Zr₂Al₃C₄, and MgAlON bonded Al₂O₃‐based composites were successfully prepared by a gaseous phase mass transfer pathway using aluminum, zirconia, alumina, and magnesia as raw materials at 1873 K, after an Al–AlN core‐shell structure was formed at 853 K. Resin bonded Al–Al₂O₃–MgO–ZrO₂ composites after sintering were characterized and analyzed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and the influence of the MgO content on the sintered composites was studied. The results show that after sintering, the phase composition of the Al–Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ composite is Al₂O₃, Al₄O₄C, Al₂OC, and Zr₂Al₃C₄, while the phase composition of the Al–Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ composite with the addition of MgO 6 wt% and MgO 12 wt% is Al₂O₃, MgAlON, Al₄O₄C, Al₂OC, and Zr₂Al₃C₄ as well as Al₂O₃, MgAlON, Al₂OC, and Zr₂Al₃C₄, respectively. The addition of MgO changed the phase composition and distribution for the resin bonded Al–Al₂O₃–MgO–ZrO₂ system composites after sintering. When the added MgO content is equal to or more than 12 wt%, the Al₄O₄C in the resin bonded Al–Al₂O₃–MgO–ZrO₂ system composites is unable to exist in a stable phase.     

Optimization of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of Al2O3-Cr2O3 refractories for waste incinerator

The corrosion resistance and mechanical properties directly affects the operation and service life of Al₂O₃-Cr₂O₃ refractories used in waste incinerators. In this study, ZrO₂ particles were introduced via vacuum impregnation to adjust microstructure and properties of Al₂O₃-Cr₂O₃ refractories. The results showed that the impregnated ZrO₂ particles and increasing impregnation times resulted in the decreased median pore size and increased compactness, and mechanical strengths of refractories were elevated from the inhibited cracks propagation by ZrO₂ particles. The decreased amounts of large pores and increased amounts of small pores from the filled ZrO₂ particles inhibited penetration of low melting point phases, and the formed CaZrO₃ phase from the reactions between corrosion reagent and ZrO₂ particles increased the viscosity of penetrated corrosion reagent, resulting in the decreased penetration index from 8.57% to 2.58%. Meanwhile, the filled ZrO₂ particles around alumina particles prevented reactions between molten corrosion reagent and alumina, leading to the decreased corrosion index from 3.78% to .74%. The decreased pore size and formation of CaZrO₃ phase were primary factors that enhanced the penetration resistance. And formation of wrapped layers from ZrO₂ particles around alumina particles presented prominent effects on the strengthened corrosion resistance of Al₂O₃-Cr₂O₃ refractories.     

Preparation,characterization and hydrotreating performances of ZrO2–Al2O3-supported NiMo catalysts

A series of Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ composite supported NiMo catalysts with various ZrO₂ contents were prepared. Several techniques including XRD, SEM, N₂ physisorption, H₂-TPR, and UV–vis DRS were used for typical physico-chemical properties characterization of the ZrO₂–Al₂O₃ composite supports and their NiMo/ZrO₂–Al₂O₃ catalysts. The test results showed that the composite supports prepared by the chemical precipitation method existed as amorphous phase in the samples with insufficient contents of ZrO₂, and the incorporation of ZrO₂ into supports provided a better dispersion of NiMo species, which made their reductions become easier. The pyridine-adsorbed FT-IR results indicated that the Lewis acid sites of catalysts increased significantly by the introduction of ZrO₂ into the supports. The activities of these catalysts for diesel oil hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) were evaluated in a high pressure micro-reactor system. The results showed that the ZrO₂–Al₂O₃-supported NiMo catalysts with suitable ZrO₂ contents exhibited much higher catalytic activities than that of Al₂O₃-supported one, and when the ZrO₂ contents were 15% and 5%, the NiMo/Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ catalysts presented the highest HDS and HDN activities, respectively.     

Molten salt synthesis and formation mechanism of magnesium aluminate spinel using different shape Al2O3 as the templets

In order to verify the “Al₂O₃-template-formation” mechanism of magnesium aluminate (MA) spinel proposed previously using Al₂O₃ and MgO micro-powders as raw materials, in this work, MA spinel was synthesized by nanograined, plate-like, and fibrous Al₂O₃ in LiCl molten salt at 1150 °C for 3 h, respectively. The products were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and EDS techniques, and the grain size of the products and raw materials were analyzed. The results showed clearly that the MA spinel was initially nucleated and subsequently developed to octahedral crystal. When the reaction further took place, when using nanograined Al₂O₃, the newly formed MA spinel seeds initially moved and attached to the surface of the large octahedral MA spinel crystal, and they were subsequently engulfed by the large MA spinel crystal, which further grew via layer-by-layer to become micro-sized crystal. Using plate-like or fibrous Al₂O₃ raw material, MgO diffused continuously into the interior of Al₂O₃ to form MA spinel with a gradient growth from surface to depth. These revealed that whatever shape of Al₂O₃ was used, the synthesis of MA spinel was governed by “Al₂O₃-template formation mechanism”, i.e., by the reaction of MgO diffusion into the Al₂O₃ templet in the molten salt.     

Effect of CeO2 and Al2O3 contents on Ce‐ZrO2/Al2O3 composites

Effect of CeO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents on phase composition, microstructures, and mechanical properties of Ce–ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ composites was studied. The CeO₂ content in CeO₂–ZrO₂ varied from 7 to 16 mol%, and the Al₂O₃ content in Ce‐ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ composites were 7 and 22 wt%. When CeO₂ content was ≤10 mol%, high Al₂O₃ content contributed to hinder the tetragonal‐to‐monoclinic ZrO₂ phase transformation during cooling and decrease the density of microcracks in the composites. Tetragonal ZrO₂ single‐phase was obtained in the composites with ≥12 mol% CeO₂, regardless of the Al₂O₃ content. Hardness, flexural strength, and toughness were dependent on CeO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents which were related to the microcracks, grain size, and phase transformation. The high flexural strength and toughness of the composites with 7wt% Al₂O₃ could be obtained at an optimum CeO₂ content of 12 mol%, whereas those of the composites with 22 wt% Al₂O₃ could be achieved in the wide CeO₂ content range of 8.5‐12 mol%.     

Growth mechanism of AlN crystals via thermal nitridation of sintered Al2O3–ZrO2 plates

The crystal growth of AlN from aluminum oxides was studied using a thermal nitridation method. Four types of aluminum oxides, sintered Al₂O₃, ZrO₂-containing sintered Al₂O₃, and a- and c-plane sapphires, were used as a source material. As observed, millimeter-sized AlN crystal grains were successfully grown from the ZrO₂-containing sintered Al₂O₃ only at temperatures ranging from 2223 to 2323 K. The growth mechanism, including the role of ZrO₂ additive, was discussed from a thermodynamic viewpoint. The following growth model was proposed: predominant nitridation of ZrO₂ in Al₂O₃ suppresses Al₂O₃ nitridation, and the ZrO₂–Al₂O₃ liquid phase forms, which promotes the formation of Al₂O(g) and Al(g) from Al₂O₃. These Al-based gases react with CN(g) and/or N₂(g) to form AlN crystals on the Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ plate.     

Microstructure and improved mechanical properties of Al2O3/Ba-β-Al2O3/ZrO2 composites with YSZ addition

Al₂O₃/Ba-β-Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ composites were fabricated by solid-state reaction sintering of Al₂O₃, BaZrO₃, and yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powders. The effects of YSZ addition on microstructure and mechanical properties have been investigated. The incorporation of YSZ promoted the densification of the composites and formation of tetragonal ZrO₂ phase. The microstructure of the composites was characterized by elongated Ba-β-Al₂O₃ phase and equiaxed ZrO₂ particles including added YSZ and reaction-formed ZrO₂. The Al₂O₃/Ba-β-Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ composites with YSZ addition exhibited improved fracture toughness, as a result of multiple toughening effects including crack deflection, crack bridging, crack branching, and martensitic transformation of ZrO₂ formed by the reactions between Al₂O₃ and BaZrO₃. Moreover, owing to the grain refinement of Al₂O₃ matrix, dispersion strengthening of the added YSZ particles, and an increase in density of the composites, the Vickers hardness and flexural strength of Al₂O₃/Ba-β-Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ composites were dramatically enhanced in comparison with the composites without YSZ addition.     

HEAVY METALS REMOVAL FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS USING TiO2, MgO,AND Al2O3 NANOPARTICLES

This study investigated the removal of Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Pb²⁺ from aqueous solutions using nanoparticle sorbents (TiO₂, MgO, and Al₂O₃) with a range of experimental approaches. The maximum uptake values (sum of four metals) with multiple component solutions were 594.9, 114.6, and 49.4 mg g^?1, for MgO, Al₂O₃, and TiO₂, respectively. The sorption equilibrium isotherms were described using the Freundlich and Langmuir models. The best interpretation for experiment data was given by the Freundlich model for Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Ni²⁺ in single- and multiple-component solutions. A first-order kinetic model adequately described the experimental data using MgO, Al₂O₃, and TiO₂. SEM-EDX both before and after metal sorption and soil solution saturation indices (SI) in MgO nanoparticles indicated that the main sorption mechanism for heavy metals was attributable to adsorption and precipitation, whereas heavy metal sorption by TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ adsorbents was due to adsorption. These nanoparticles may potentially be used as efficient sorbents for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions. MgO nanoparticles were the most promising sorbents because of their high metal uptake.     

Interactions between oxides and compounds in the ZrO2-Al2O3-SiO2 system and a glass melt

Conclusions The interaction between ZrO₂, Al₂O₃, ZrSiO₄, and 3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂ with alkali silicate glasses of three compositions has been studied. It is shown that the greatest resistance to the effect of a molten glass is found in ZrO₂ and Al₂O₃. Therefore, the most promising compositions in the ZrO₂-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system are those which contain baddeleyite and corundum as the crystal phases with the minimum amount of silica.The most aggresive oxide in the composition of the glasses used in this experiment is K₂O whose interaction with the refractory leads to the formation of low-melting compounds.The dissolution of corundum in the glass and the associated change in the properties of the glass have been studied. It is established that the dissolution of Al₂O₃ is the result of its interaction with the melt and the formation of low-melting compounds (alkali aluminosilicates of the feldspar type) while the emergence of a more viscous contact zone in the glass around the corundum grains lowers the rate of dissolution of Al₂O₃.Translated from Ogneupory, No. 2, pp. 50–53, February, 1980.     

Effect of SiO2, Fe2O3, and TiO2 on stabilization of cubic ZrO2 in the presence of Al2O3

Several compositions are investigated in order to determine the essence of the phase transformations occurring at temperatures up to 1600°C in the ZrO₂ — Ln₂O₃ (Ln is Nd, Y, Yb) — Al₂O₃ — SiO₂ (Fe₂O₃, TiO₂) systems. The efficiency of using Y₂O₃ and Yb₂O₃ to stabilize cubic ZrO₂ in the presence of a mixture of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ (Fe₂O₃, TiO₂) is shown. Data show the possibility of fabricating high-quality zirconium-corundum articles with any proportion of Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂.Translated from Ogneupory i Tekhnicheskaya Keramika, No. 6, pp. 17 – 20, June 1996.     

The Influence of ZrO2 Additions on Al2O3 Evaporation and AlN Crystal Growth by Thermal Nitridation of Al2O3–ZrO2 Pellets

The effects of ZrO₂ additions to Al₂O₃ were investigated to improve the evaporation rate of Al₂O₃ for bulk AlN crystal growth. The evaporation rate of Al₂O₃ increased concomitantly with increasing ZrO₂ concentration under a nitrogen gas stream at 2223 K. The ZrO₂ was predominantly nitrided. The nitridation of ZrO₂ kept the local oxygen partial pressure high at the pellet surface, which suppressed the nitridation of Al₂O₃. The nitridation of ZrO₂ caused the outward diffusion of ZrO₂ (Zr⁴⁺ and O^2?) in the pellet, which was accelerated further by the presence of Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ liquid phase in grain boundaries, leading to the prompt formation of ZrN porous layer on the pellet surface. The suppressed nitridation of Al₂O₃ and the formation of porous ZrN layer were the reasons for the enhanced evaporation of Al₂O₃, leading to enhanced bulk AlN growth.     

Microwave hybrid and conventional sintering of Al2O3 and Al2O3/ZrO2 multilayers fabricated by aqueous tape casting

In this study, microwave hybrid sintering and conventional sintering of Al₂O₃- and Al₂O₃/ZrO₂-laminated structures fabricated via aqueous tape casting were investigated. A combination of process temperature control rings and thermocouples was used to measure the sample surface temperatures more accurately. Microwave hybrid sintering caused higher densification and resulted in higher hardness in Al₂O₃ and Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ than in their conventionally sintered counterparts. The flexural strength of microwave-hybrid-sintered Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ was 70.9% higher than that of the conventionally sintered composite, despite a lower sintering temperature. The fracture toughness of the microwave-hybrid-sintered Al₂O₃ increased remarkably by 107.8% despite a decrease in the relative density when only 3 wt.% t-ZrO₂ was added. The fracture toughness of the microwave-hybrid-sintered Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ was significantly higher (247.7%) than that of the conventionally sintered composite. A higher particle coordination and voids elimination due to the tape casting and the lamination processes, the microwave effect, the stress-induced martensitic phase transformation, and the grain refinement phenomenon are regarded as the main reasons for the mentioned outcomes.     

Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with CO2 over V2O5/Al2O3–ZrO2 catalyst

V-containing catalysts supported on Al₂O₃, modified with varying amounts of ZrO₂, were prepared by impregnation method. Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with CO₂ was run over these catalysts in a fixed-bed downflow stainless steel reactor. Compared with pure Al₂O₃ support, a small amount of ZrO₂ in the support led to a significant increase in catalytic activity. Partial reduction of vanadium oxides and carbon deposition were the main reasons for the decreased catalytic activity.     

Molten cast materials of the Al2O3-MgO system

Molten cast alumomagnesia refractory materials containing up to 28.3% MgO (MgAl₂O₄) are investigated. It is shown that materials with 10–15% MgO have a complex structure and phase composition. The latter can be interpreted as a solid solution of corundum and spinel or as a combination of MgO · 2.5Al₂O₃. The behavior of these materials in molten TK16 and K8 glass is investigated.     

Role of scanning speed on the microstructure and mechanical properties of additively manufactured Al2O3‒ZrO2

Melt-grown Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ eutectic (AZ eutectic) ceramics have attracted extensive attention for harsh environment applications. In this work, AZ eutectic ceramic is additively manufactured via one-step laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The role of scanning speed on phase formation, crystallographic characteristics, microstructure evolution, and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. The as-fabricated specimens are mainly composed of α-Al₂O₃ and t-ZrO₂. Lower scanning speeds induced the formation of cellular structures consisting of randomly oriented ZrO₂. In contrast, nanometer eutectic lamellar structure with well-defined multiple crystallographic orientation relationships, for example, {10$\overline{1}$0} Al₂O₃ || {100} ZrO₂ and {0001} Al₂O₃ || {001} ZrO₂, occurred at higher scanning speeds. Both the cell size and lamellar spacing decreased with increasing scanning speed. With the microstructure refinement, the crack propagation mode changes from intergranular to transgranular fracture, leading to progressively enhanced fracture toughness with a maximum value of 7.76 MPa·m^1/2. The present work could shed light on tailoring the microstructure of LPBF AZ eutectic ceramic via varying processing parameters.     

The microstructure,formation mechanism and sintering characteristics of Al2O3/ZrO2 supersaturated solid solution powders

In this study, the Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ supersaturated solid solution powders with different ZrO₂ contents were successfully synthesized by a novel combustion synthesis combined with water cooling (CS-WC) method. The solid solubility and formation mechanism of solid solution under the extremely non-equilibrium solidification condition were discussed in details. The ultra-high cooling rate greatly improves the solubility limit of Al₂O₃ in ZrO₂. When ZrO₂ content is 30 mol%, the Al₂O₃ has been almost dissolved into the ZrO₂ lattice. The formation mechanism of solid solution can be attributed to solute interception caused by the huge degree of supercooling. During the sintering process, the solid solution powders precipitate ZrO₂ particles and the Al₂O₃ matrix, which forms a fine and uniform nanostructure. Due to the synergistic effect of t-m phase transformation toughening and ZrO₂ nanoparticles toughening, the Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ nanoceramics exhibit excellent mechanical properties when ZrO₂ contents are at the range of 25–37 mol%.     

Microstructure of the directionally solidified ternary eutectic ceramic Al2O3/MgAl2O4/ZrO2

The directionally solidified Al₂O₃/MgAl₂O₄/ZrO₂ ternary eutectic ceramic was prepared via induction heating zone melting. Smooth Al₂O₃/MgAl₂O₄/ZrO₂ eutectic ceramic rods with diameters of 10 mm were successfully obtained. The results demonstrate that the eutectic rods consist of Al₂O₃, MgAl₂O₄ and ZrO₂ phases. In the eutectic microstructure, the MgAl₂O₄ and Al₂O₃ phases form the matrix, the ZrO₂ phase with a fibre or shuttle shape is embedded in the matrix, and a quasi-regular eutectic microstructure formed, presenting a typical in situ composite pattern. During the eutectic growth, the ZrO₂ phase grew on non-faceted phases ahead of the matrix growing on the faceted phase. The hardness and fracture toughness of the eutectic ceramics reached 12 GPa and 6.1 MPa·m ^1/2, respectively, i.e., two times and 1.7 times the values of the pre-sintered ceramic, respectively. In addition, the ZrO₂ phase in the matrix reinforced the matrix, acting as crystal whiskers to reinforce the sintered ceramic.